Guatemala Votes for Military-backed Candidate

(Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Presidential Candidate Sandra Torres was a member of the guerrillas during the country’s 36-year civil war. InSight Crime regrets the error.)

Jimmy Morales, the leader of a political party founded by ex-military personnel, won the first round of Guatemala’s presidential elections September 6. A runoff is scheduled for October 25 between Morales and whoever won second place, which has yet to be determined.

Morales, who heads the National Convergence Front (Frente de Convergencia Nacional – FCN) and describes his ideology as “Christian Nationalism,” thanked God as the final results trickled in, showing he had won close to a quarter of the votes.

Second place remained in dispute between Manuel Baldizon, a longtime power broker from Peten state, and Sandra Torres, a former leftist militant-turned first lady, who once fostered programs for the poor in rural areas. Authorities are expected to announce who will contend for the presidency by September 8, in what is sure to be a highly contested result regardless of who is declared the winner.

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Morales says he is popular because he has never held public office, and thus has not been tainted by the corruption that dogs career politicians. But in some key ways, Morales represents a continuation of Perez Molina’s discredited administration. Guatemala’s current government is littered with ex-military personnel, who were snagged in corruption scandals that often reached back to their days in the army.

Morales’ discourse is nationalistic, evoking words like honor and dignity, but it is also religious, frequently citing biblical references and stirring ecclesiastical passion. The former comedian — who spent 15 years making Guatemalans laugh in sometimes questionable ways, which some might describe as racist (see below) — is an able orator and debater. He is also well educated, with degrees in theology and business.

Morales’ victory does not necessarily make him the front-runner for the second round. Both Baldizon and Torres have strong followings in rural Guatemala, which could tip the scales in their favor come October 25.

For his part, Baldizon has been campaigning since the last election in 2011, which he lost to Perez Molina in a runoff. Baldizon’s ability to run this near non-stop campaign — with at least four helicopters at his disposal — has raised concerns about his sources of political financing.

Meanwhile, Sandra Torres is well known to Guatemalans as a former first lady during the Alvaro Colom administration (2008 to 2012). The former first couple have since separated, but Torres retains much of her support in rural Guatemala, which helped Colom win the presidency in 2007.

In addition to Barquin’s legal dilemma, there are other potentially damaging charges against the final candidates that may emerge. As evidenced by Perez Molina’s fall and arrest, Guatemala’s anti-impunity commission, known as the CICIG, and the Attorney General’s Office have recently made it a habit to issue damaging charges against whoever they find in their investigations.

In the end, by October 25, Guatemalans may be voting for what might literally be the last man — or woman — standing.

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6 COMMENTS

[…] dirty wars of the 1980s. Last year, Guatamala’s president Jimmy Morales, who represents a party founded by retired military officers, visited Israel to cement these enduring ties. And after Honduras cast its vote for Israel on […]

[…] CICIG’s charge. Commonly called just “Jimmy,” Morales is a former TV star, a comedian known for an offensive blackface routine, who had never before held elected office. His populist 2015 campaign surged after Pérez […]

[…] charge. Commonly called just “Jimmy,” Morales is a former TV star, a comedian known for an offensive blackface routine, who had never before held elected office. His populist 2015 campaign surged after Pérez […]

[…] charge. Commonly called just “Jimmy,” Morales is a former TV star, a comedian known for an offensive blackface routine, who had never before held elected office. His populist 2015 campaign surged after Pérez […]

[…] CICIG’s charge. Commonly called just “Jimmy,” Morales is a former TV star, a comedian known for an offensive blackface routine, who had never before held elected office. His populist 2015 campaign surged after Pérez […]

[…] charge. Commonly called just “Jimmy,” Morales is a former TV star, a comedian known for an offensive blackface routine, who had never before held elected office. His populist 2015 campaign surged after Pérez […]

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